Time and Again is a 1970 illustrated novel by American writer Jack Finney about a man who travels from 1970s New York City to 1882 via a secret U.S. government experiment. The novel includes historical illustrations, many drawn from period sources, and has enjoyed enduring cult status, with some historians and preservationists crediting it for raising awareness of New York City's architectural heritage.
While the novel is often classified as science fiction due to its time‑travel premise, many critics emphasize its historical, romantic and nostalgic elements, and observe that its speculative mechanism serves more as a narrative device than scientific exposition.
A sequel, From Time to Time (1995), was published during the final year of the author's life.
Background
Jack Finney began work on Time and Again in the late 1950s, drawing inspiration from his lifelong fascination with old photographs, prints, and newspaper articles about New York City.[1] According to his literary agent, Finney initially abandoned the project after becoming blocked, then later restarted it with a completely revised plot.[1]
In an author’s note appended to the novel, Finney explained that he had "tried to be factually accurate," basing his descriptions of 1880s Manhattan on historical research and period photographs. He noted that many details in the book — including the routes of horsecars, the locations of elevated railway stations, and the exhibits in the old Astor House — were drawn from real sources, while others were adjusted for narrative convenience. Finney acknowledged allowing himself some deliberate anachronisms, remarking humorously, "If I needed a fine old Dakota apartment building in 1882, and found it wasn’t finished till 1885 [sic], I just moved it back a little; sue me."[2]
To reinforce the novel’s sense of authenticity, Finney incorporated historical photographs and illustrations directly into the text, most of them drawn from collections at the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY), with others sourced from The New-York Historical Society and private entities such as Brown Brothers, Culver Pictures, and the Home Insurance Company. A number of illustrations supposed by Si Morley were acquired from Culver Pictures.[2]
Finney meticulously aligned key plot events with historical dates. The climax of the novel, involving the dramatic fire at the Old New York World Building, is set on January 31, 1882, the actual date of the building’s destruction.[3] Earlier events in the story, such as characters mailing letters and exploring New York in 1882, are placed in the first weeks of January, while later domestic and social scenes — for instance, the encounter with Apple Mary and the Danziger family — occur in early February. This careful chronological structuring reflects Finney’s dedication to blending historical fact with fiction, a hallmark of the novel’s immersive depiction of 1880s New York.
In November 1970, Simon Morley, an advertising sketch artist, is approached by U.S. Army Major Ruben Prien to participate in a secret government project. He is taken to a huge warehouse on the West Side of Manhattan, where he views what seem to be movie sets, with people acting on them. It seems this is a project to learn whether it is feasible to send people back into the past by what amounts to self-hypnosis—whether, by convincing oneself that one is in the past, not the present, one can make it so.
As it turns out, Simon (usually called Si) has a good reason to want to go back to the past—his girlfriend, Kate, has a mystery linked to New York City in 1882. She has a letter dated from that year, mailed to an Andrew Carmody (a fictional minor figure, a developer later associated with Grover Cleveland). The letter seems innocuous enough — a request for a meeting to discuss marble — but there is a note which, though half burned, seems to say that the sending of the letter led to "the destruction by fire of the entire World", followed by a missing word. Carmody, the writer of the note, mentioned his blame for that incident. He then killed himself.
Si agrees to participate in the project, and requests permission to go back to New York City in 1882 in order to watch the letter being mailed (the postmark makes clear when it was mailed). The elderly Dr. E. E. Danziger, head of the project, agrees, and expresses his regret that he can't go with Si, because he would love to see his parents' first meeting, which also occurred in New York City in 1882. The project rents an apartment at the famous Dakota apartment building (which was under construction in 1882, not completed until 1884).[a] Si uses the apartment as both a staging area and a means to help him with self-hypnosis, since the building's style is so much of the period in which it was built and faces a section of Central Park which, when viewed from the apartment's window, is unchanged from 1882.
The Dakota in winter. This image appears in Chapter 17 of the novel, and is supposedly taken by Simon Morley.
Si is successful in going back to 1882, at first very briefly, and then a second time he is able to take Kate with him. They travel by horsebus down to the old post office, and watch the letter being mailed by a man. They follow him, and learn that he lives at 19 Gramercy Park. Then they return to their base at the Dakota apartments and return to the present.
Si is debriefed and carefully examined after each trip to the past, and as far as the project organizers can tell, his activities in the past are making no difference to the present. He is encouraged to go back again. He presents himself at 19 Gramercy Park as a potential boarder. He is accepted, begins living there and learns that the man who mailed the letter is named Jake Pickering. Si explores the Manhattan of the past for several days, sketching all the while — he is an illustrator, and Finney inserts illustrations from the period into the book as Si's own. Si goes on to learn that Pickering is blackmailing Carmody. Si finds himself falling for the landlady's niece, Julia Charbonneau. But he has a rival — Pickering. Eventually, Pickering makes a scene, having tattooed the name "JULIA" on his chest, and Si soon leaves to return to the present.
Things aren't going as well in the present. One of the other participants in the project, having gone back to Denver some seventy years in the past, has made some unknown change in the past and thus a friend, whom he remembers, was never born. Danziger insists that the project be stopped. When he is overruled, he resigns. After Prien talks to him, Si sees no alternative other than to return to the past again, though he is troubled by Danziger's resignation.
He is accepted back at Gramercy Park cheerfully, with even the dour Pickering happy. It seems Pickering and Julia are now engaged. Si (casting himself as a private detective) tells Julia that Pickering is a blackmailer. They go to Pickering's office and conceal themselves to watch the blackmail money being turned over by Carmody. Carmody brings only $10,000, rather than the demanded million dollars for the incriminating files. After knocking him out, Carmody ties up Pickering and sets out to look for the papers. He realizes they are concealed amid many other files. He patiently thumbs through the files, while Si and Julia agonize as the hours pass. Finally, Carmody decides on a scheme — burn the files. He does so. Pickering tries to save the files, but burns himself badly in the process. To the pair's astonishment, Si and Julia burst forth, urging them to flee, and flee themselves.
It is a huge fire, and Si and Julia find themselves trapped. They barely escape. Si learns that the building used to house the New York World newspapers and one piece of the puzzle fits in — the missing word in Carmody's note was "Building". After watching the efforts to fight the fire, in which many die, the shaken couple returns to Gramercy Park. There is no sign of Pickering.
Two days later, the Si and Julia are picked up by Police Inspector Thomas Byrnes, and then taken to Carmody's house. Terribly burned and bandaged, Carmody accuses them of murdering Pickering and starting the fire. After they leave, Byrnes feigns indecision and lets them walk away — only to yell, "The prisoners are escaping" to the sergeant who accompanies him. It is a set-up, the two are to prove their guilt by "attempting to escape". As it turns out, police all over the island have already been provided with their description and photographs. Si and Julia are able to flee, but have no money and nowhere to go. They shelter in the as-yet-unassembled Statue of Liberty's arm, then standing in Madison Square. (Again, the arm standing in Madison Square Park prior to the statue as a whole being erected is a factual event).[4] Si tells Julia the whole story, but she takes it as entertaining fantasy. She is soon convinced otherwise, as Si brings them both into the present, and she observes the dawn from high inside the long-assembled statue, seeing a totally strange New York.
They spend a day in the present, with a shocked Julia observing the things that have changed in ninety years, from clothing to television. At last, they settle into Si's apartment. He is ashamed to tell her the history of what has happened in the past ninety years, the horrible wars and the fact that there are areas of the city where no law-abiding citizen can safely go. Julia must return home. The two realize that the man whom they met at Carmody's house was in fact Pickering, who they could not identify because of the burns and bandages — the real Carmody had actually died in the fire. Armed with this knowledge, Julia can keep Pickering from having her arrested, lest he be exposed. As 1882 is far more real to her than 1970, she returns to the past without needing any help from Si.
Si goes to report in, and tells most of the story, concealing Julia's visit to 1970. They then give Si an assignment — to intentionally alter the past. Research has confirmed that Carmody (actually Pickering) was an acquaintance of Grover Cleveland's — and talked Cleveland out of buying Cuba from Spain. The military men now in effective control of the project conclude that if Pickering is exposed, he might never have influence with Cleveland, and the U.S. might never have to worry about Fidel Castro. But after talking with Danziger, Si worries about the other effects the change might have, and Danziger makes him promise not to carry out the scheme. Si returns to 1882. Having learned from Danziger how his parents met by chance, Si interjects himself and prevents their meeting. Because the parents never meet, Danziger will never be born, and the project will never happen. Si walks away towards Gramercy Park and Julia, and away from 1970.
Reception and legacy
When first published in 1970, Time and Again received generally favorable reviews but modest sales. In The New York Times review, critic W. G. Rogers praised the book, writing, "...you go back to a wonderful world and have a wonderful time doing it."[5] After criticizing unrealistic science fiction, Carl Sagan in 1978 listed Time and Again as among stories "...that are so tautly constructed, so rich in the accommodating details of an unfamiliar society that they sweep me along before I have even a chance to be critical."[6]
Over time, the book gained a substantial cult following, particularly for its evocative portrayal of nineteenth-century New York and its romantic blending of historical realism and speculative fiction.[1] The novel went on to sell more than 200,000 copies in trade paperback and continued to sell steadily decades after its release.[1]
While the book achieved enduring popularity, some later reviewers faulted the novel for its weak handling of Morley’s relationship with Kate, noting that her departure is treated casually and that he moves on to Julia with "little fanfare".[7] Similarly, documentary filmmaker Ric Burns critiqued its literary qualities, describing it as "long-winded, occasionally self-righteous and as psychologically shallow as a daguerreotype," with stilted dialogue and anachronistic attitudes toward women. Despite these criticisms, Burns emphasized the novel’s historical detail and vivid evocation of 1880s Manhattan as its lasting appeal, noting that it stayed in print for more than three decades.[8]
In the afterword of his own time travel novel 11/22/63, Stephen King states that Time and Again is "in this writer’s humble opinion, the great time-travel story."[9] King had originally intended to dedicate his book to Jack Finney.
Influence on preservation awareness
Time and Again has been credited with fostering awareness of New York City’s architectural heritage. Documentary filmmaker Ric Burns wrote that Finney’s detailed evocation of 1880s Manhattan — including the Dakota Apartments, Central Park, and the unfinished Brooklyn Bridge — "resonated powerfully in a city that for two generations had seemed intent on destroying much of where it had come from," situating the novel within the broader "urban salvage program" of the 1960s and 1970s.[8] Similarly, the Bowery Boys podcast/blog describes the novel as "a manifesto for preservation" in the context of the city's nascent landmark movement.[10] Preservationists have cited the book as an inspiration: Jack Taylor, president of the Drive to Protect the Ladies' Mile Historic District, credited Time and Again with providing impetus for the district’s landmark designation, noting that Finney testified in support of it in 1986, prior to its official designation in 1989.[11]
In other media
Audio version
In 1995 Simon & Schuster released an audio version of Time and Again, abridged by James Shokoff. It is read by Campbell Scott and is 4.5 hours in length. (An audio version of From Time to Time, the sequel to Time and Again, was released simultaneously. It too was abridged by Shokoff and read by Scott.)[12]
Stage adaptation
A musical adaptation of Time and Again, with book by Jack Viertel and music and lyrics by Walter Edgar "Skip" Kennon, was first staged at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in 1996. Reviewers mentioned that "while the new show 'retains the central time travel theme, the blackmail plot, and other elements from the novel, it features what is in many respects a new story that deviates sharply from the source.'"[13] The Old Globe production was directed by Jack O'Brien and featured stars such as Rebecca Luker and Howard McGillin.[14][13] Although the San Diego production was envisioned as a preview toward Broadway, it was delayed by mixed reviews.[14]
Though initially sold out, the show received largely negative reviews: Variety called it "an innocuous if unexciting piece of stage furniture"[16] and Backstage observed that it "suffers from over–compression.... The story is pinched as well."[17]The Observer added that the staging "resembles nothing more than a low‑budget try...."[18] No Broadway transfer followed.
One reviewer noted the difference in scale between the Old Globe production and the New York production: "In San Diego, director Jack O’Brien had a larger stage, allowing for grander sets, a bigger cast, and a more awe-inspiring portrayal of the protagonist’s time-travel journey. In contrast, the New York production ... was in a more intimate space, where the set, costumes, and design could be more closely scrutinized, making it harder to create the same magic."[13]
Film adaptation attempts
Since its publication, Time and Again has drawn repeated interest from filmmakers but has never been successfully adapted. The first option on the rights was held by Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and producer John Foreman, who tried to interest director John Huston and Warner Bros. in the early 1970s, though no screenplay was completed.[1]
Universal Pictures bought the rights in 1977 for $100,000, in a deal allowing unlimited time for a miniseries but only ten years for a feature film. Producers including Gabriel Katzka, Edgar Scherick, and Irwin Allen showed interest, but none advanced the project. Universal Television later developed three different miniseries scripts in the 1980s, all unproduced.[1]
Actor/director Robert Redford became attached multiple times, having first encountered the novel through Newman and Woodward. In the early 1990s he announced plans to produce, direct, and possibly star in a Universal film through his company Wildwood Enterprises, Inc., citing the story’s mix of romance and speculative science. The project again stalled amid high costs and the release of similar time-travel films such as Somewhere in Time (1980) and Back to the Future (1985).[1]
Finney himself was reportedly ambivalent about a screen adaptation: while he accepted option payments, he expressed skepticism that any film could capture the novel’s tone and felt that a motion picture would likely be disappointing. [1] (Finney died in 1995).
On July 25, 2012, it was announced that Lionsgate studios optioned the film rights to the novel, with Doug Liman set to direct and produce.[19]
As of 2025, no film or television adaptation of Time and Again has been produced.
Somewhere in Time (1980) — a film featuring a similar time travel technique. Based on the 1975 Richard Matheson novel Bid Time Return, the film concerns a young man, Richard Collier, unhappy with his life as a playwright, who travels back in time through self-hypnosis, coached by his former college professor, one "Dr. Gerard Finney" — probably an homage to Jack Finney.[20][21]
Notes
↑ Author Jack Finney explains that he took a few liberties with the Dakota's timeline due to his fascination with the building.[2]
↑ Reardon, Patrick T. (June 25, 2018). "Book review: Time and Again by Jack Finney". patricktreardon.com. In the book's final pages, Kate is dropped as Morley lamely observes that the relationship that he and Kate shared just wasn't clicking any more. I wonder what she thought.
↑ King, Stephen (2011). 11/22/63: A Novel. Simon and Schuster. ISBN9781451627305. p.849: Besides The Body Snatchers, he wrote Time and Again, which is, in this writer's humble option, the great time-travel story.
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